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Long days and double stages

Carl Remarx

Walking where you’re not
Time of past OR future Camino
Planning a a Camino de Carlos
After reading a rather heated recent thread about double-stage walkers, I wanted to hear some positive stories if long walks.
When the weather and my mood are lovely, I often don’t feel like stopping and walk on. I’ll never forget the time I started a second “day” of walking at 11:00 p.m. under the full moon with a Camino acquaintance. We walked until dawn. Quiet and contemplative.

I sometimes walk two to three long days as I approach a larger city, then take an extra night or two in town, something I’m surprised others refuse. My love of León and its street culture grew out of a three day stretch there in 2011.
All that said, distance walked is merely a function of time and effort and mood, without a moral component, as I see it.

And the rest of you? Any offbeat tales of off-schedule or extraordinary days/ distances?
I won’t likely participate, but would love to hear your stories.
 
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Back in 2016 I walked right across Norway in a single day: from the Swedish border to the coast at Verdal. Admittedly Norway is pretty narrow there but it was still a 50km day. I was walking the ST: Olavsleden in May and it was VERY cold. With very few places open for indoor shelter I had to keep walking, set up my tent or freeze :)
 
Whatever a stage is... i guess i walked some longer days on my CF this year. Some days i just feel like walking. Some days i just did not want to stay in the places i passed. Some days i wanted to make up for shorter days. Most times the decision was a good one. Few times i did regret it. Orisson to Zubiri on day two was a mistake. Sarria to Santiago in 3 days was a good call.
For me the secret to success was not to try to finish quick but rather take my time, have a good lunch and not be afraid to call ahead to check if i can still get a bed when i knock on the door between 17:00 and 18:00.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

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I have a rule of thumb which says that under 24km is short, 24km - 32km is normal, 32km to 40km is long and over 40km is a big day.

The big days are not common but are memorable in their own way. Perhaps the best was from Ciudad Rodrigo to Almeida. The daftest was walking 44km in the August sun to Reliegos in 2020, where I arrived definitely on the edge.
 
The longest stretch I walked on the hot summer of 2019 was Puente de la Reina to Los Arcos, 43km in total.
The last 10km were quiet, hot and somehow very fullfilling.

The Bomberos were cruising the Camino to pick up the Pilgrims that wouldn't make it by foot to Los Arcos.
After that I had days of 38km (Villafranca to Burgos), 37km (Leon to Hospital de Orbigo and Hospital de Orbigo to Rabanal).
As long as my feet were ok and I got enough water, I walked. I didn't call ahead, I walked on until I had enough walking.
 
Assuming you are fit and can get the calories it’s surprising how far you can go. Hydration and stretching are key for me once finished. Drink a little more and another round of stretching . Agreed feel tired but can keep going
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I've had this discussion about 'how fast' in forums centered on bicycle touring. 'Yeah, I did the Trans America in 32 days' or 'I did the Pacific Coast Bike Route (Vancouver BC - Mexicali) in 17 days'. My response then was the same I would give now. In all likelihood this is the ONE time you are doing the cross country or the coast or . . . . the Camino Frances. This is it! Your experience. What are you going to say to people who ask 'how was it'. How are you going to sum it up and give the questioner the sense of what doing the Camino de Santiago is like? What is the fullness of your experience going to be.
'It was fast!' Is that it?
 
Thanks, Charles Ross. I agree, and was looking more for the poetic than the athletic in responses. Okay, can anyone describe a great day of weird(?) walking WITHOUT any numbers? A particularly inspiring day of being lost or a serendipitous discovery down the road when the albergue one wanted was closed?
 
Thanks, Charles Ross. I agree, and was looking more for the poetic than the athletic in responses. Okay, can anyone describe a great day of weird(?) walking WITHOUT any numbers? A particularly inspiring day of being lost or a serendipitous discovery down the road when the albergue one wanted was closed?
Yes, I just got back from a Camino and when people ask how much I walked i've answered '@ 975,000 steps'. That gets some odd looks!
 
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I walked Borres, on the Primitivo, to the hotel above the dam at Grandas once. 43 km give or take. Hospitales was out 'cos of low cloud & high wind. I had "Breakfast" in Pola de Allende and just kept going. I got to La Mesa late afternoon but after a 30 minute rest I decided I wasn't prepared to stay. The Albergue was a sad old place in those days and a quick bug-check persuaded me that a night in the woods or a barn somewhere would be preferable. It was a great decision. The climb up to Santa Maria de Buspol was a bit of a grind but I rolled down through the forest (still a forest in the years before the fires) with birdsong and thunder and beautiful sunset lights. I made it to the hotel above the dam about 11 at night. No lights but the night-porter was sat on the benches out front having a smoke. We had a great night and in the morning he would only charge me for breakfast. Apparently I hadn’t spent long enough time in the room. I made it to Castro despite the hangover.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
A particularly inspiring day of being lost
Absolutely.
I was intending to walk from Santo Domingo de Silos (on the tail-end of the Lana) to Mambrillas de Lara (on the San Olaf) via Covarrubias. It meant about 16km on the Lana and then another 7 and a half or so kms on the SO to Mambrillas, all told about 24kms.

I left early, at first light, and noticed the waymarker at the edge of town said something like, "Covarrubias 22, and thought, "Hmmm, they need to correct their sign." Wrong. I was leaving on an entirely different and longer route than the camino, with only a screenshot of a map on my phone and no working mobile connection. It was such an amazing adventure, an up and down 30 rather than a tame 24. I had eaten no food for breakfast and had none all day, because I bypassed Covarrubias entirely - but boy was it worth it. I was mostly on a GR route that wound over and around the most amazing landscape, and past the surreal Sad Hill Cemetery site from the filming of The Good the Bad and the Ugly. If I ever walk that route again I'll go the same way. It was amazing. (But next time I'll eat something before I leave, and take food to go.)
 
Astorga to Ponferrada was an experience. I remember walking into Molinaseca (when there was only one Albergue in town) and having one other pilgrim join me for an evening stroll into Ponferrada. Oh, and if it were not for a bowl of soup courtesy of Tomás in Manjarin I don’t know if I would have made it.

The following year a good friend and I walked Negreira to Finisterre. We had a late start from the Xunta Albergue and by the time we got to Olveiroa the Albergue was full so we Forrest Gumped it all the way. There were not many options back then; it was get wet sleeping under the stars or get wet walking. The waitress at Mac Dous must have thought us to be savages the way we ate our food… and then reordered.

I remember being so tired the next morning that we didn’t wander past the port, let alone make it out to the lighthouse. By day two all was good again.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I did a bit of the Via Francigena in winter, and after Pavia accommodation options were limited to say the least- so a +40km day leaving in dark with freezing fog, and arrived in Oria Litta to see a worried woman looking out into the dark foggy night from the pilgrim accommodation watching for the crazy pilgrim to arrive ( having had to ring to book). I got the impression she was very worried about me and was about to ring for a search party given the foggy night. Not my favourite longer day! Quite comfortable at about 30km but any more I need a decent break and serious calories to refuel, which doesn't fit so well with short winter days. However the next day I was so tired on the long urban walk along a main road into the city of Piacenza that somehow I was drawn in by golden arches to McDonalds for burgers and icecream and coke.
 
After reading a rather heated recent thread about double-stage walkers, I wanted to hear some positive stories if long walks.
When the weather and my mood are lovely, I often don’t feel like stopping and walk on. I’ll never forget the time I started a second “day” of walking at 11:00 p.m. under the full moon with a Camino acquaintance. We walked until dawn. Quiet and contemplative.

I sometimes walk two to three long days as I approach a larger city, then take an extra night or two in town, something I’m surprised others refuse. My love of León and its street culture grew out of a three day stretch there in 2011.
All that said, distance walked is merely a function of time and effort and mood, without a moral component, as I see it.

And the rest of you? Any offbeat tales of off-schedule or extraordinary days/ distances?
I won’t likely participate, but would love to hear your stories.
I've walked double stages in Galicia in the past (near O'Cebreiro to Sarria-but then did a rest day in Sarria because it was Palm Sunday, on most of my Caminos I've walked past Palais de Rei, once going to Melide because I walked with someone else so I wasn't walking alone late in day, and I've walked Arzua to Santiago, again because it was Holy Week, but also after Pedrouza, there didn't seem to be any place open, that was in 2009.) This year was the first time I stayed in Palas de Rei, and then first time since 2005 I've stayed in Pedrouza, which has really grown since then! Got to see the church there for the first time.y feet have just been killing me this time. I always found the Galician stages easier in the past, but it was probably just because I'd worked myself into good shape by then. But then there's the bittersweet tension of wanting to arrive and also not wanting to end yet.
 
After reading a rather heated recent thread about double-stage walkers, I wanted to hear some positive stories if long walks.
When the weather and my mood are lovely, I often don’t feel like stopping and walk on. I’ll never forget the time I started a second “day” of walking at 11:00 p.m. under the full moon with a Camino acquaintance. We walked until dawn. Quiet and contemplative.

I sometimes walk two to three long days as I approach a larger city, then take an extra night or two in town, something I’m surprised others refuse. My love of León and its street culture grew out of a three day stretch there in 2011.
All that said, distance walked is merely a function of time and effort and mood, without a moral component, as I see it.

And the rest of you? Any offbeat tales of off-schedule or extraordinary days/ distances?
I won’t likely participate, but would love to hear your stories.
My first Camino was June 2020. Porto to SdC. Peak Covid. I had to do short days or multiple day stays in certain locations as I started on 18 June and the Portugal Spain border did reopen until 01 July!

But more to the point my second Camino was July 2020.. the Frances. Started off with leisurely 20-25km days long leisurely lunches etc, but rumours of regional border shutdowns abounded, Leon, Galicia, so ended up virtually sprinting across with the last 10 days being around 40kms a day!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
After reading a rather heated recent thread about double-stage walkers, I wanted to hear some positive stories if long walks.
When the weather and my mood are lovely, I often don’t feel like stopping and walk on. I’ll never forget the time I started a second “day” of walking at 11:00 p.m. under the full moon with a Camino acquaintance. We walked until dawn. Quiet and contemplative.

I sometimes walk two to three long days as I approach a larger city, then take an extra night or two in town, something I’m surprised others refuse. My love of León and its street culture grew out of a three day stretch there in 2011.
All that said, distance walked is merely a function of time and effort and mood, without a moral component, as I see it.

And the rest of you? Any offbeat tales of off-schedule or extraordinary days/ distances?
I won’t likely participate, but would love to hear your stories.
Not a Camino, my longest day on that was an unintentional 41 kms when we got lost.
But I have completed the Oxfam NZ Trailwalk event 5 times since 2006. Its an annual 100km walk, all terrain hike/run - you walk through bush, up hills and mountains, across farms etc. Sometimes there is a track, sometimes just markers in a paddock, or on a tree, or the other side of a stream. Sometimes you get lost because people souvenir the markers.
You have 36 hours to complete the total distance. Its done in teams of 4, all 4 people must walk together at all times. (it helps to like your team mates, you get to know them extremely well).
It is also held in Australia, Singapore etc - based on a training exercise done by the Ghurka regiment. They came out to NZ and competed in the 1st event in 2006. They ran the whole way - with packs and finished in around 12-13 hours.
The first time we came in on the 24 hour mark, the last time 27 hours (plus last time I got stung by wasps in the dark). We start at 6.00am on Saturday and usually come in around 7 -9am on Sunday morning.
It depends a lot on the weather - if its raining, it gets very slippery, and downhill is often completed the fast and uncomfortable way when your feet come out from under and you pick yourself up 100 metres down the hill.
Every event many people drop a glove, and sometimes a phone down a portaloo during the night hours when its cold and very dark. After 18 hours your coordination is a little shot, and its very hard to cope with a portaloo and removing clothing in the dark.
After our third event, one of our team mates was keen for us to compete in one of the Australian events, but the rest of us declined as Australia is WAY TOO SCARY to walk through the bush at night

My husband is my support person, and has promised divorce if I ever do it again.
 
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but the rest of us declined as Australia is WAY TOO SCARY to walk through the bush at night
On my only visit to Australia in June and July a few years ago I did a little bushwalking in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Friends in Sydney assured me I would not come across any snakes at that time of year. On my first day walking in Queensland I met this little character. A death adder. Unlikely I'd have spotted it at all if it hadn't been coiled up on a gravel track and I hadn't had my eyes peeled for wildlife. No way I'd be wandering the bush at night either! :)

IMG_20190617_110148.jpg
 
I’m a long distance walker per day. I’m in it for the walk and when I have started to walk there isn’t much that can stop me. I have walked some 100 km ultra marathons (in 16 h). walking in my past so I know my legs can handle long long walks and I have the mind for pushing through even if they get a bit tired. A short stop and I’m reset.

On my latest Camino I did some extra long stages. My normal average on a Camino is 38 km/day (and yes I know that most people consider that as way too long) but this one had 40.8 as average on my 1428 km over 35 days (16 days were over 40 km). And my 4 longest stages were between 52 and 58 km.

I stop for views, food, a lot of photos or just to enjoy small things. I walk quite fast so my days aren’t so long I was on my longest day out for 11h and 22 min. But that day only held 45 min of resting. I was i a walk zone heading for Santiago from Lalín :)

I call a day under 30 a rest day. As I’m usually done around lunch then.

I just happens to love walking. And I see new things around the next corner.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I am someone who learned while walking the Levante at age 64 that I LOVED walking 35 and 40 km days. I had walked caminos for 14 years before that and had never dared to go beyond the low 30s. Well, on the Levante, I walked from Valencia for four days totally alone and then met two Frenchmen. They were doing longer days, we got along well in spite of limited language connection, so I decided to give it a try. And wow, I loved it!

Now in my 70s I found last fall that I didn’t/couldn’t walk those distances comfortably, so I am scaling back. But I still hope to walk distances that challenge me and fill me with the feelings that only come (for me) from hours out there enjoying the natural landscape, with me and my own thoughts.

I’m glad that there has only been one comment in this thread suggesting that walking long distances somehow equates to an inferior superficial camino experience. I never did understand why people tend to equate arriving early in the day and sitting around in the afternoon with “smelling the roses” while walking and feeling invigorated and alive and grateful was somehow relegated to the category of a less worthy camino. Everyone should do what works best for their own body, and you’ll never know what works best for your body unless you try different things!
 
Now in my 70s I found last fall that I didn’t/couldn’t walk those distances comfortably, so I am scaling back.
I'm a little behind you as I reached 60 this year but I'm having to come to terms with annodominitis too. :) As a much younger man I once managed a 110km day - though not on a Camino. Not so long ago a 40km day with a substantial camping load in my pack was not a special challenge. Osteoarthritis in my knees is making me less ambitious in my plans nowadays. The good news is that the availability of albergues and hostals on the main Camino routes mean that by choosing more cautiously and packing light I hope to keep walking for a few years yet! :cool:
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I am someone who learned while walking the Levante at age 64 that I LOVED walking 35 and 40 km days. I had walked caminos for 14 years before that and had never dared to go beyond the low 30s. Well, on the Levante, I walked from Valencia for four days totally alone and then met two Frenchmen. They were doing longer days, we got along well in spite of limited language connection, so I decided to give it a try. And wow, I loved it!

Now in my 70s I found last fall that I didn’t/couldn’t walk those distances comfortably, so I am scaling back. But I still hope to walk distances that challenge me and fill me with the feelings that only come (for me) from hours out there enjoying the natural landscape, with me and my own thoughts.

I’m glad that there has only been one comment in this thread suggesting that walking long distances somehow equates to an inferior superficial camino experience. I never did understand why people tend to equate arriving early in the day and sitting around in the afternoon with “smelling the roses” while walking and feeling invigorated and alive and grateful was somehow relegated to the category of a less worthy camino. Everyone should do what works best for their own body, and you’ll never know what works best for your body unless you try different things!
And the blog from that camino is a joy to read. I used it as my guide to the Levante.

And for your post here I just want to press a 1000 likes.
 
Another old thread revived - Oh well, I will give my two cents! For a first time Camino walker I would advise against doing any stages longer than the guidebook suggested stages - for the first week. Why? Your body is adapting to the long distances day after day and you need to get your "trail legs" built up before you start pushing distances.

That said - after the first week (or at least 5 days) - you are getting stronger and it is easier to do long distances. And the longer you have been walking, the easier it is to do longer distances.

I personally love mixing long days and short days. I am trying to remember what my longest was - probably my 50km day Muxia to Finisterre and then some and back to Finisterre. It was accidental - my gps directions to my hotel were VERY bad. And that day - was the first hot day and I can tell you I was miserable and probably suffering from heat exhaustion by the time I finally got to my hotel. That said - all my other long days were fine. I have done quite a few double stage days over my two Caminos. I only do it when I am feeling good though and if I am going to do a double stage - I do reserve a bed so that I know I have a place to relax once I finish. I also have done some really long days prior to getting into a city so that I can take a rest day without putting me "behind schedule". Not that I have a firm schedule, but I like to leave time at the END of my Camino and don't want a rest day to take away from that.

No - I don't do double stages or really long days all the time. I space them out and do them when I feel up to doing them. That said - I am doing the Via Francigena this summer (Canterbury to the Italian Border)and I am definitely planning to do a lot of double stages in the earlier part of the trail. In fact, I will do a double stage the first day. It is a distance I know I can comfortably do as long as I keep walking at home before I start the Via Francigena. Why? I want to cover more trail in less time than it takes the average person - because I can't take more time off of work. I want to do the VF in two years, not three - so this is very important to me. And I know the first part of England/France is technically easier terrain - so I will push limits on the easy terrain and take my time on the more hilly parts.

Another reason for me to do longer distances is because I tend to get bored in the smaller towns. You walk all morning, find and make your bed, take your shower, do laundry, take a short nap, and then wander around town until dinner and then go to sleep. Well - in the smaller towns - wandering town doesn't take very long. So - if I am going to "wander" anyway - may as well walk a little further! Or a lot further. It is less of an issue in towns that have museums or cathedrals to explore.
 
The good news is that the availability of albergues and hostals on the main Camino routes mean that by choosing more cautiously and packing light I hope to keep walking for a few years yet!
That is my secret hope as well. I have a few more untraveled routes I dearly hope to walk (Serrana, Mozárabe from Málaga, Lana from Valencia, Viejo from Pamplona are those that come to mind), but hope that I can be back on the Francés, Norte, and Primitivo for those twilight years, if I am so lucky as to have them!
 
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